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(Nb Model.)

D. WALSH. GAME APPARATUS.

Patented Aug. 4, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DORMER YVALSH, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF 'IO IV. I. DAVIS, OF SAME PLACE.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 457,018, dated August 4, 1891. Application filed February 6, 1891- Serial No. 380,526. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DORMER WVALSH, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Game Apparatus; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a novel game to be played by two or more competitors; and it consists in certain details of construction, which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view showing an arrangement of the parts. Fig. 2 is a view of the shooting-stand and a partial vertical section of the pit.

My invention consists of a central ring or pit, a table or surface with subdividing radial and circular rings marked thereon, and a series of numbered disks with an elastic shooting apparatus by which these disks may be impelled, so as to deposit them in the pit.

This game may be played by two or more people as follows: Atable is procured, preferably round, and upon it is fixed a spread or cloth A, which is stretched and secured by pins, hooks, or other convenient device; or, if preferred, this field may be made of stiff card-board or other suitable material. In the center of this table is fixed the pit, which may be"a simple inclosure. In the present case it consists of a circular wooden or other plate B, having the upper side beveled or inclined,so that when the lower side rests upon the table the thin edge of the plate will be presented outwardly and will lie flat upon the table. In the center of this plate or ring is a hole 0, which, on account of the greater thickness of the plate at the central portion, will have suiiicient depth to receive and hold the disks or men with which the game is played. This plate B has upon its under side a series of eyes or devices, to which the elastic cords E are fixed. These cords have hooks F upon their outer ends, and they are stretched outwardly from the central disk so that the hooks may engage the edge of the table, and thus hold the disk in place, at the same time dividing the surface of the cloth into as many fields, so called, as there may be players. A circular ring G is marked upon the cloth at a suitable distance outside of the central home-plate,and upon this ring are placed the disks or men which are used in playing the game. These men H are in the form of flattened disks, having numbers or characters upon one side, which side is intended to lie flat upon the table. They are made in different colors to distinguish them, and each player will take disks of a certain color. As many of them may be used by each player as convenient or suitable, such as five.

The numbers marked upon the disks may be 10, 20, 30, the, or other suitable number, and when the disks have been forced into the pit or home at the center they count as many points as may be marked upon them for the player to whom the color is assigned. If different characters are used, other means of counting game may be employed. In order to move these disks, I employ balls I, fixedat the end of light elastic cords .I, and these cords are secured to a standard K, one of which is used by each player. These standards may be made of any suitable shape or material. If desired, they may be made of bent wood or of stout wire, having a central base or support K, upon which they should preferably be fixed, so as to stand alone; but when they are being used to play with the operator must place one of his hands upon this central base, so as to hold it steady.

The standards, bases, or any parts of the apparatus which are at all bulky may be made to fold or otherwise be reduced to small coinpass, to be packed when not in use.

The game is played as follows: The number of disks or men assigned to each player are placed by him upon the ring-B ashort dis tance apart, and the standard is set in the space outside of the ring at such aconvenient distance away from the ring and the disks that the ball may be pulled backward by the player, so as to stretch its elastic cord, and then when released the ball will be thrown forward by the elasticity of the cord, and if properly directed will strike one of the movable disks. If the direction and force are sufficient, the disk will be driven up the inclin-e of the center plate and will drop into the pit before described. If the force is not sufficient, the disk may remain in the field of the player. If the force is too great or not properly directed, the disk may be forced into an adjoining field belonging to one of the other players. Each player should endeavor to force as many of his disks into the central pit as possible, and the amount of the figures upon these disks will determine his position in the game, the one having the highest number winning the game, and so on. If a players disk falls into the field of an opponent, that opponent is entitled to shoot at the strange disk, and, if possible, force it outside of the ring upon which the disks are originally placed. When this is done, or when any disk is forced outside of the ring, it becomes dead and cannot be again played with.

The players are entitled to move the stands from point to point outside of the ring and behind their own fields, but may not place the stand within the field.

I have here described a movable stand with an elastic cord and ball to impel the men; but I do not wish to confine myself to this particular form, as other forms of elastic propulsion may be used Without materially altering the character or operation of the device.

The game may be played ininany different ways, the most suitable being to allow each player to shoot in turn and to have each shot count as'a shot, whether a man be hit or not; but it will be manifest that many variations may be made in the game played with the herein-described apparatus without essentially changing the character of the apparatus.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ist 1. A game apparatus consisting of a table having a central pit with upward-inclined walls leading thereto, said table having its surface divided into divisions or fields, a series of pieces adapted to be projected across the table, and a removable shooting device for effecting the propulsion of the pieces.

2. A game apparatus having at its oentera pit with an upward-inclined surface leading thereto, independent pieces adapted to be propelled over the surface of the table of the apparatus, a detachable standard or support having a base resting upon the table, and'a projectile suspended from the standard for effecting the propulsion of the pieces, substantially as herein described.

3. A game apparatus consisting of a table or cloth subdivided and having'a central pit with an inclined surface leading upward thereto, disks with numbers or characters placed upon the table outside of said pit, and elastic cords having one end fixed to a supporting stand or frame and aball fixed to the other end, whereby said balls may be used to shoot at the disks and impel them into the central pit, substantially as herein described.

4. The central pit with the elastic cords and hooks, whereby it is attached to the table, and the radial subdivisions, made substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

DORMER WALSH.

Witnesses:

' GEO. I-I. STRONG,

S. H. NOURSE. 

